Providing year-round quality ballet, lyrical and tap classes for students who are genuinely interested in the arts and whose families and schools cannot provide such opportunities is the mission of The Aspire Project, a north Portland non-profit. The community is invited to see Aspire students perform during a free recital on June 8 at 3:30 p.m. at Roosevelt High School.

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‘Aspire Project’ makes the arts accessible

It is not everyday that a 5th grader has the opportunity to dance in front of 400 plus people, a performance most adults would shy away from in a heartbeat. But there is no doubt this 5th grader, Anna, is excited. And she says the best way to achieve her aspiration to be ballerina someday is “to take a lot of classes and do the best you can.”